Medical Science Liaison Success Practicum 2007: Best Practices in the Art of Medical Science Liaising

Field-based medical science liaison (MSL) teams are expanding and continually defining their role in the biopharmaceutical industry. To assist current MSLs in developing skills critical to the success of this field-based role, Medical Science Liaison Institute's MSL University is conducting its 2007 MSL Success Practicum on May 10-11 in Houston, Texas.

MSL University's Success Practicum engages MSLs to learn techniques, tools, and strategies to effectively develop and manage relationships with key opinion leaders in healthcare research and the biopharmaceutical industry. Short term and long term career development will also be discussed to help in sustaining a successful career as a MSL and beyond. In addition to relationship and career development, program participants will learn the importance of business acumen, and its role as they strive to be productive and compliant MSL professionals.

Although the Success Practicum is aimed at current MSLs, MSL Institute sponsored a scholarship competition for prospective MSLs to participate in the Success Practicum. Scholarship winners were selected for their potential to be successful MSLs. The two scholarship recipients for the May 2007 Success Practicum are Heather Y. Winter, Ph.D., a recent graduate of Baylor College of Medicine and Wanda Vila-Carriles, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research assistant of University of Alabama at Birmingham.

"Dr. Winter had no prior MSL experience, yet her application demonstrated an impressive level of insight to the challenges and industry issues affecting MSLs in their roles, including the importance of compliance in the MSL function," said Dr. Jane Chin, President of Medical Science Liaison Institute. "Dr. Vila-Carriles' application has a depth of understanding of the challenges that MSLs face on a daily basis, including crossfunctional interactions. Both scholarship winners exhibited the knowledge and resourcefulness conducive to a successful MSL career."

Medical science liaisons from more than 10 biopharmaceutical companies will participate in this Success Practicum to learn about best practices, work on case studies, and network with their peers in this Success Practicum. To register or learn more, please visit www.MSLuniversity.com.

MSL University focuses on MSL education and training and is offered through Medical Science Liaison Institute, a consulting firm dedicated to the field-based MSL function.